Francois Jacobs, Council’s own Ironman completed the 2012 Spec-Savers Ironman event on 22 April at 22:18:25.

Francois' times for the different sections are as follows:

Swimming: 01:45:47

Cycling: 06:32:38

Running: 06:43:51

We are so proud of this totally blind athlete who completed this gruelling event – showing the world what blind people can do, and raising funds for Council in the process - even though Francois became ill during the second lap of the running. He stuck it out and even had to walk for long times, but he kept going and showed that he is truly an Ironman!

Francois, we are very proud of you and are honoured to be associated with you.

We hope you and your guide, Kevin, will have a well deserved rest in the next few days. Thank you so much for what you have done!

We want to say a huge THANK YOU to HumanWare who sponsored Francois and Kevin with clothes to participate in – thank you for investing in blind South Africans!

Also a big THANK YOU to everyone who sponsored Francois on the Do it 4 Charity website and those people who paid their donations into our bank account. We really appreciate it and I know Francois does as well.
 

Click here to see the eNews video about the whole campaign

An inspirational volunteer’s recently joined the South African National Council for the Blind: blind endurance athlete Francois Jacobs. Click here to see the video from eNews.

He's a real go-getter, and in 2008 became the first blind athlete to complete Ironman South Africa (3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run). He's also completed Argus cycle tours, the Comrades’ Marathon and the Midmar Mile, amongst many other arduous sporting events.

This year, Francois has agreed to compete in the Ironman again, to raise funds towards the work of the South African National Council for the Blind. It's a marvellous gesture and we’re thrilled to be associated with Francois.

If you make a donation of R30 or more towards Francois’ campaign before the 22nd of April (all proceeds will go to the SANCB) you stand a very good chance to win one of these fabulous prizes:
• A MP3 player
• A week’s accommodation at Magaliespark
• A Kalahari gift voucher
• A supermarket voucher

You can either make a donation on our website (please fax the proof of payment together with your name, surname and contact telephone number to 012 346-4699 and mark it clearly as an entry for the Ironman competition to ensure that you will be considered for one for the prizes) or show Francois your support and challenge friends to the same on the Do it 4 Charity website (all donations for Francois via this site will automatically be entred into the competition), where all proceeds raised will go to our work.

You can track Francois' progress on the day if you simply SMS his race number: 924 to 39408. The cost is a once off R15 for your SMS to 39408.

The winners will be drawn and announced on 4 May 2012.

Funds raised will help more blind and partially sighted people reach for their dreams and – like Francois – be the very best they can be.

The Spec Savers Ironman SA is taking place on 22 April 2012 in Nelson Mandela Bay, so please click here now to show Francois how much we support his efforts.

With sponsorship gift, Francois can make a huge difference in the lives of blind and partially sighted South Africans.

Click here to read the article in Tshwane Beeld on 28/3/2012.

Ps: Thank you Virgin Active SA for being Francois’ official Health & Fitness Partner.

Happy birthday to Council's accessible website. It was launched on 14 February 2011 and we have received wonderful feedback.

A happy Valentines Day to all our supporters! We LOVE you!!

Judge Zak Yacoob is Visually Impaired

The South African National Council for the Blind applauds the announcement of Judge Zak Yacoob as Acting Deputy Chief Justice of South Africa. Judge Yacoob served as Chairperson of Council from 2001 to 2009.

Judge Yacoob has been a long standing supporter, advocating for the rights and full inclusion of persons with disabilities. His life and his own disabilities have not hindered his progress to the upper echelons of the legal fraternity. The SA National Council for the Blind welcomes his appointment because we believe in empowering visually impaired people to do what they dare to dream and his achievements have been built upon a foundation of justice, hard work and determination to succeed. These are qualities espoused by many visually impaired people who sadly do not get the chance they deserve to show how they can shine.

We hope that this appointment opens the eyes of all South Africans in showing just how much success and independence visually impaired people can achieve with a little help and guidance, the right access to education, accessible skills development facilities and assistive devices.

On behalf of all the visually impaired South Africans that we, together with our member organisations serve, we wish Judge Yacoob all the best in his new appointment and we are confident that he will prove himself capable of his office.

The International Council on English Braille’s (ICEB) Fifth General Assembly is jointly hosted by the SA National Council for the Blind and Blind SA at the Protea Hotel Samrand in Johannesburg, from 6 to 10 May 2012. The conference was opened officially by Dr Joseph Phaahla (see picture above of Dr Joseph Phaahla, Christo De Klerk and Jace Nair)

The conference is proudly sponsored by the Department of Arts and Culture.

Click here for live streaming of the conference.

This conference aims to create a standardised braille for a National Braille Policy which we hope will be recognised by government. Our efforts to introduce a high quality braille and brailling standard will put SA on the global map as being innovators and advocators in the field.

ICEB consists of experts from English speaking countries around the world and seeks to improve and standardise the quality of braille across the world. ICEB meets every four years and discusses the challenges and achievements in the field as well as to coordinate efforts to standardise braille. This includes research into braille and input from linguistic experts and topics under discussion also include the use of tactile graphics, braille music notations and mathematic expressions.

The outcome of this conference will map the way forward in braille and related linguistic developments for the next four year period.

Delegations
Each member nation of ICEB may send a delegation of up to four members, at least 50% of whom must be blind. Each delegation of a member nation of ICEB shall have one vote.

Each member nation of ICEB should send a list of the names and addresses of the members of its delegation to the ICEB Secretary, Dr Judith M. Dixon, at least sixty days prior to the commencement of the General Assembly or not later than 7 March 2012.

Observers
Interested observers, both individuals and organisational representatives, are welcome to attend the General Assembly. Observers will have opportunities to speak at the General Assembly, but do not have the right to vote.

Observers are requested to notify the Secretary of their attendance, with their name and address details, at least sixty days before the General Assembly or by 7 March 2012.

Registration
There will be no registration fee for attendees (whether delegates, observers or accompanying persons). Attendees will however be responsible for their own accommodation and meal costs.

Attendees are asked to register with the South African organising committee using the registration form provided by Friday 2 March 2012.
See the link to the registration form below.

ICEB General Assembly Contacts

For further information regarding local arrangements for the ICEB General Assembly please contact Christo de Klerk

For information regarding the conduct of the ICEB General Assembly contact the ICEB Secretary, Dr Judith M. Dixon

Click here to link to the ICEB 2012 website